#TBT 1986 People Magazine interview with Dr. David Weeks

February 4, 2015

Dr. David Weeks has been researching eccentricity for decades. Thanks to a random Google Search we found this 1986 People Magazine article about him and his quest to find and profile American eccentrics.

In Eccentrics Aren’t Mad, Bad or Dangerous, and They Don’t Mind If the World Finds Them Weird, Dianna Waggoner asks Dr. Weeks several questions on eccentricity.

Who qualifies as an eccentric?

“In general they are loners and nonconformists who are curious, creative, and obsessive … They see the world as rather mundane and out of step with them.”

How do you distinguish between eccentrics and psychotics?

“Eccentrics have not lost trust with reality. They have insight into their behavior and usually don’t show any of the positive symptoms of illness, such as delusions and hallucinations.”